PSYC 1301-02: GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY SYLLABUS

HEADING

Get in Touch

Instructor: Aaron R. Baggett, Ph.D.
Email: abaggett@umhb.edu
Office Phone: (254) 295-4553
Office Location: Wells 140
Office Hours: MW: 1:00 PM–3:00 PM; TR: 11:00 AM–3:00 PM, and by appointment.

Course Description

PSYC 1301: General Psychology is a survey course investigating the connections among mind, brain, and behavior from the perspective of psychological science.

Meeting

Time: MWF, 10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Location: Davidson Hall (DAV) 202
Prerequisite: NA
Course Website: https://mycourses.umhb.edu/courses/42686

Intended Course Learning Objectives

Three intended course learning objectives will guide instruction and assessment. Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate foundational knowledge of major psychological concepts, theories, and historical perspectives.
   Students will be able to identify and explain key principles from various domains of psychology, including biological, cognitive, developmental, social, and clinical psychology.

2. Apply psychological concepts to everyday life and real-world situations.
   Students will analyze behavior and mental processes using psychological theories and evidence-based reasoning in both academic and personal contexts.

3. Interpret and evaluate psychological research and data.
   Students will demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method, critically assess research findings, and describe basic methods used in psychological inquiry, including ethical considerations.

Credit Hour(s)

The semester credit hour is a unit by which an institution measures its course work. The value of a semester credit hour can be determined by time, the educational experience, and outside preparation by the student.

The following constitutes the definition of a semester credit hour for PSYC 1301: General Psychology:

1. At least fifteen (15) contact hours, as well as, a minimum of thirty (30) hours of student homework is required for each semester credit hour.

Textbook

The official textbook for PSYC 1301 is a free and open educational resource titled Psychology 2e (Spielman et al., 2024). Online and PDF versions are available. The PDF version is also available in Canvas by going to Files > Textbook > Pyschology-2e.pdf.

Psychology 2e is designed to meet scope and sequence requirements for the single-semester introduction to psychology course. The book offers a comprehensive treatment of core concepts, grounded in both classic studies and current and emerging research. The text also includes coverage of the DSM-5 in examinations of psychological disorders. Psychology 2e incorporates discussions that reflect the diversity within the discipline, as well as the diversity of cultures and communities across the globe.

Here’s the offical APA-style textbook citation:

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2024). Psychology 2e. OpenStax.
      https://shm.to/zmuJmKW.

Academic Integrity

UMHB’s policy on Classroom Expectations and Ethics will be strictly upheld in this course. If you have not read it and all subsequent sections, it is your responsibility to do so. You may find it online here. The omnibus policy outlines University requirements concerning Christian citizenship, students’ responsibilities, class attendance, academic decorum, and academic integrity.

Disabled Student Services and Accomodations

It is the student’s responsibility to request disability accommodations. Students requesting an accommodation for a disability, must contact the Office of Disability Services as early as possible in the term.

For more information, please contact:

Blayne Alaniz, Director of Student Disability Services and Testing Services
UMHB Box 8437
900 College Street
Belton, Texas 76513
Office: (254) 295-4739
Fax: (254) 295-4196
Email: balaniz@umhb.edu

Course Structure

Learning Modules and Objectives

PSYC 1301 is divided into the following six learning modules, each with four intended learning objectives. See Sections \(\ref{requirements}\) and \(\ref{calendar}\) below for a detailed outline of required readings, lecture topics, and assignments. For now, let’s take a look at the general course overview.

At the conclusion of each of the follwing modules, you should be able to successfully complete each of the following objectives:

1. Foundations of Psychology (Ch. 1–2)

   1. Define psychology and describe its roots in philosophy and science.
   2. Distinguish among major early schools of thought (e.g., structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism).
   3. Explain key steps of the scientific method as applied in psychological research.
   4. Critically evaluate a simple research article for design, ethics, and validity.

2. Human Growth and Development (Ch. 9)

   1. Describe the major stages of human development from prenatal through late adulthood.
   2. Compare and contrast developmental theories (e.g., Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg).
   3. Identify typical cognitive, emotional, and social changes at different life stages.
   4. Apply developmental theory to real-world examples or case studies.

3. Human Learning and Cognition (Chs. 6–7)

   1. Define and distinguish classical and operant conditioning.
   2. Identify the roles of reinforcement and punishment in behavior change.
   3. Identify key components of cognition, including concepts, problem-solving, and decision-making.
   4. Describe various theories and measures of intelligence.

4. Social and Applied Psychology (Ch. 12)

   1. Outline the major stages of lifespan development and key developmental theories.
   2. Explain theories of motivation and primary drives (e.g., Maslow, drive-reduction).
   3. Describe major emotion theories and the physiology of emotion.
   4. Compare major personality theories (psychodynamic, trait, humanistic).

5. Emotion and Personality (Chs. 10–11)

   1. Describe major theories of motivation (e.g., drive theory, Maslow’s hierarchy).
   2. Analyze how physiological arousal and cognitive processes interact in emotional experiences.
   3. Compare and contrast major personality theories (e.g., psychodynamic, trait, humanistic).
   4. Apply personality theory to describe individual differences.

6. Psychological Disorders and Treatment (Ch. 15)

   1. Identify major psychological disorders and their core diagnostic features.
   2. Explain how psychological disorders are classified using the DSM-5.
   3. Compare etiological perspectives (biological, psychological, sociocultural) on mental illness.
   4. Examine the impact of stigma and cultural bias in diagnosis and treatment.

Team-Based Learning

PSYC 1301 is taught using a collaborative and applied teaching strategy known as team-based learning (TBL). TBL is an evidence-based collaborative learning and teaching strategy designed around units of instruction, known as “modules” (see above). Prior to, or just after, the start of the semester, you will complete a student information and team member questionnaire. Student responses will be used to form equitable teams consisting of between 3-5 members. You will receive more information about completing the team-formation requirements during the first week of class. Once formed, teams remain permanent for the duration of the course.

Each learning module will consist of two primary phases:

1. Readiness Assurance Process
   The Readiness Assurance Process (RAP) itself consists of five separate but conjugated phases:

   1. Pre-Class Preparation
      Students are assigned pre-class work such as readings, videos, or slides before each module. The focus is on key terms and core concepts needed to begin problem solving and applying select course content. Pre-class work may not cover all content required by the end of a module so be sure to familiarize yourself all major sections of each chapter.

   2. Individual Readiness Assurance Test (iRAT)
      Prior to the start of a new chapter, you will take a short, 10-question multiple-choice reading quiz. We’ll sometimes refer to this as the iRAT or “individual test.” Basically, the iRAT helps hold you accountable for learning key concepts from the pre-class work so that you’re ready to begin the actual work of problem-solving. Most quiz questions target basic levels of thinking like remembering, understanding, and simple application.

   3. Team Readiness Assurance Test (tRAT)
      After you take the individual quiz, you’ll answer the same questions again with your team. Only this time, you’ll use a special scratch-off answer sheet with the correct answer designated as a under either A., B., C., or D. Imagine the most boring lottery ticket and that’s what it looks like. We’ll sometimes refer to this as the tRAT or the “team test.”

      You and your teammates will work together to try and uncover the correct answer on your first scratch. Your team gets full-credit if find the correct answer on your first scratch. Since each question has just four answer choices, the credit percentage decreases by 25 percentage points for each wrong scratch. For example, if each quiz question is worth 1 point then finding the correct answer after the second scratch would yield 0.75 points, and so on until you reach your last scratch, which would yield only 0.25 points for that question.

      Both the iRAT and tRAT are designed to be relatively low-stakes assessments with the goal of building a foundation of relevant knowledge and understanding for each chapter and subsequent module.

   4. Appeals
      Before your team submits the tRAT, you may create a written appeal to me for any question you got wrong. You may use the textbook, lecture slides, handouts, or your own notes to support your argument and rationale as to why you believe there may be an alternate answer to the question. Appeals without a clear argument or rationale and weak or no supporting evidence will be denied.

   5. Mini-lecture
      Following the module readiness assurance process, I will focus time in-class toward select mini-lectures related to concepts that may be problematic for students.

2. In-Class Applied Learning Activities
   Most of our time in class will be spent working in your teams to tackle real, meaningful problems. You’ll solve them, share your answers, and compare your thinking with the other teams. All teams will analyze the same problem and arrive at one of several possible solutions.

   The process repeats at the beginning of each new module.

Course Communication

Official course communication outside of class will take place via the Discord app, Canvas Announcements, and/or email. My preference is to primarily use Discord. Discord is an instant messaging app that makes course communication simple and streamlined. Standby for more details on getting up-and-running with it.

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